


Cinderella's Stepbrother

by special_nay



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 14:47:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17226032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/special_nay/pseuds/special_nay
Summary: Modern Cinderella AU where Baekhyun is the ugly [or maybe not] stepsister. Well, he is the stepbrother in this case.[Adopted Prompt of BAE2k18]





	Cinderella's Stepbrother

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted from AFF.  
> Dear prompter, I sincerely hope I won’t disappoint you for whatever the mess is this that I made. This is a really nice prompt, and the thought of not doing justice for the story worried me. But I took it as challenge and I enjoyed writing this :D  
> Dear mod, thank you for your patient with me, I hope I wasn’t much of a troublesome for you.   
> And dear readers, thank you for visiting this story, and I do hope, really really hope, that you could still find some joys while reading this tale story.

> _My name is Byun Baekhyun, and I hate my Cinderella-like step brother with passion._

**_Warning: mention of abuse, drugs, etc._ **

 

The class was full of noises; some nerds rushing about what books to pick and discussing whether or not they did the assignment question number 129 due next week using this formulation or that formulation, some boys in the corner, huddled together watching something from one of the their phones so secretly but with the volume so high Baekhyun could practically listened to the moans and grunts from the speaker despite he was seating almost on the opposite corner, some girls gossiping around while applying red lipstick on their crusty lips and eyeliners on their fake purple eyes, they giggled so annoyingly loud Baekhyun wished they accidentally stab their eyes. And then, there was his own cliché. They were currently paying attention to Baekhyun’s newly died pink hair and everyone complimenting him about it.

Baekhyun would lie if he said he didn’t enjoy this, the little attentions that made him feel pretty.

He wished _he_ notice him too.

“ANNOUNCEMENT! ANNOUNCEMENT!!!” Jongdae barged in suddenly and caught everyone’s attention. The class died down in instant as all eyes fell to the male who was now panting in front of the class; he was running here, it seemed, his hair went messy and his bag was slung complicatedly over his shoulder.

“I have a big announcement!” he halted, as if to make it thrilling, he eyed everyone in the room, making sure everyone no one paid their focus not on him.

“What is it?” Someone whispered impatiently, then another then another. Everyone joined in a muttered chatters and soon, the class turned chaos again.

Jongdae put his hands up as if to calm everyone, it didn’t do much. What he said next did it, anyway.

“The Prince is looking for his lost lover!”

As if on cue, everyone gasped, jaws fell here and there, and for a solid minute, no one could find a word to respond. When it passed, murmurs were everywhere. Everyone was talking to each other all at once.

“The Prince? Kim Kai?”

“Lost lover?”

“What happened?”

“He has a lover?”

“Is it that small guy from the party last Saturday?”

Some students went to the front, asking Jongdae for more detailed information, some other threw arguments that it couldn’t be true, and few, the one who had no more pride in them wailed miserably, tears streaming down their cheeks along with their eyeliner.

“Yeah, I saw him walking around this morning with his cousin and a pair of shoes!”

“Really? Isn’t it like Cinderella story?”

“Yeah it really looks like it..”

And more and more and more chats. Everyone spoke their minds. And then, the sound felt like fading.

Baekhyun stilled in his seat, fingers absentmindedly playing with his pencil. His eyes were sharp, drifting somewhere the quiet corner of the class. To where a small man sat nonchalantly to his surrounding, his thick glasses framed his eyes, _those huge, damned eyes._ He looked down at his textbook like it was the only thing matter, like he didn’t know.

Oh, how much Baekhyun hated him.

The big crazy chaos full of screaming and crying was forced to die down when their homeroom teacher came in with a long stick in hand. No one dared to challenge that stick of pain, so they pressed it upon themselves, turned it into whispers and promises that there will be more at lunch break.

As the teacher began to explain their topic of lesson today, Baekhyun didn’t tear his eyes off the male who never once looked back. Just like that, he let his memories reeled back to the nights before last night. To the years of hell.

 

***

 

Clutching the old, worn travel bag which holder almost fell off, Baekhyun looked at the big house before his eyes. It was truly a house, with a small, well-tended garden and children playground in the left side, a set of swing and a bright yellow seesaw could be seen from where he was standing through the bars. _He never rode a swing nor seesaw before in his life._ Even the gate… his heart beat fast against his ribs as he marveled at the huge, thick wooden bars of gate reaching up two meters high, offering comfort for whoever lived behind. Never had he seen a place as marvelous, as homey as this one looked.

“We are really going to live here?” Twelve years old him, slightly shorter than his mother looked at the woman, who smiled her beautiful, victory smile at him. It was rare occasion, but this time, she reached up to pat his head softly.

“Yes, Baekhyun. From now on, we will live with no lacking anymore.”

Baekhyun looked down at his tee, it was a lusterless yellow tshirt with a Mickey Mouse character printed on it, one ear had lost the black ink on it and all the other colors had faded. His jeans fared no better, it was too big to begin with and now the edge all brown and crumpled from too much got stepped on. And his shoes… was a shade of dull red where he remembered it was supposed to be bright; too faded in color, too small in size, and too old in age. All in all, he seemed to be not belonged there.

The chain locking the gate rattled when it was pulled. The gate slowly swung open, and Baekhyun felt like running away so badly. Flashes of scenes, bad scenes he received, the hits, the pulls, the pushes, every memory beat him up all over again. He could never trust any human. Would his life be better, really?

From the first time he breathed the air, they had lived in abuse and sorrow.  His father loved gambling and lost his job after stealing his company’s money. He worked again only to do the same. And again, and again. Until he lost both job and hope. He became a full time gambler then, and a drinker…. And a monster. Everytime his father was home, Baekhyun would hide as best as he could, it was almost no use. He would call him, and after he failed to answer on the second attempt, his always drunk father would find him and beat him bloody.

Sometimes, his mother would defend him, and they would get beaten together. Some other time later, she had learn better, she wouldn’t be at home most time. Neigbours said she sold herself, spreading her legs for anyone who could pay. Baekhyun didn’t care, she was the one gave him enough bread to eat at the end of the day. And everytime his mother’s not home, Baekhyun would get beaten twice, for him, and for his mother’s absence.

When Baekhyun was nine, he signed up for a judo class. Of course, he took it secretly. No one had known. He worked, helping to carry heavy things on the market, sang on the streets, and stole money sometimes to have some meals, the rest he would save for his course.  He wanted to defend himself. Then, when he was ten, one night before he could get beaten again for the endless number of time, he defended himself; he beat his father bloody before ran with his mother.

His mother got married again four months later. A younger man, he was quite handsome, and he was drugs seller. It was rather his mother didn’t know, or she was too desperate for shelter to care. The man didn’t beat Baekhyun. He was rather ignorant. And when Baekhyun thought he was safe then, the man crawled into his bed one night, hands all over Baekhyun only to be beaten up with a judo black belt master. After that, he threatened to kill Baekhyun if he said a word. He didn’t, until one day, his new father tried to shove Baekhyun’s face onto his powders of drugs and tried to choke him with marijuana.

Baekhyun called the police.

He couldn’t believe when less than a year after that, his mother telling him she would be getting married again. This time with a fine, middle-aged man.

A face came up behind the gate. A friendly smile etched upon his lips to match his friendly round face. When he stepped forward, arms spread wide reaching for Baekhyun, the kid stepped back.

“Baekhyun,” his mother called sternly. “This is Do Hyunjin, call him father from now on.”

The man bent down a little to level his eyes with him. He had a pair of big, friendly eyes, smiling eyes Baekhyun had never seen in a man before.

“Your name is Byun Baekhyun, right?” The man asked nicely, so nice it took Baekhyun aback. He was holding something in his hand, which then he gave to Baekhyun. “Do you want some ice cream?” That was a cone of ice cream, the kind of ice cream Baekhyun often saw people eat, but never ever touched one himself. His hand was shaking when he received the cone, didn’t dare to break his eye contact with the man.

“I hope you would like to live here, Baekhyunee. It’s not that much that I have, but please feel home. Kyungsoo?” he called, and soon, a tiny figure emerged from his behind.

There, in front of him was a kid not taller than Baekhyun. He was probably his age, with eyes so big that look alike with the ones Do Hyunjin had. The difference was, where Hyunjin smiled sweetly to him, the Kyungsoo kid just stared at him, scrutinizing him as if he was judging.

He stood there, the same cone of ice cream like in Baekhyun’s hand was in his, big eyes stared blankly. Baekhyun didn’t like it. But then he reached his free right hand out and smiled, he smiled so brightly making his lips into a beautiful heart shape. He smiled so brightly it made nothing else in this world mattered.

Baekhyun still didn’t like it.

“This is Kyungsoo,” his new father introduced. “He is a shy kid. I believe you two are around the same age, from what your mother said, Kyungsoo is a little younger than Baekhyunee, so please take care of him, hm?”

And then, without any track of shame, the man bent down slightly to kiss Kyungsoo on the cheek. The kid pulled away as if he was embarrassed to be kissed in front of strangers. Baekhyun silently tightened his fist.

From the day he was born, he was never been threatened so gentle like Kyungsoo had just received. He never got a kiss, nor hug, not even from his mother. And this ungrateful kid just threw it like a garbage?

Kyungsoo must have been so lucky. He was born and raised in a house that could actually be called a house, and home, with a swing and a yard, with living room and his own bedroom. He was well loved and got attended to. He was wearing nice and clean clothes and was wearing the new sneakers Baekhyun once saw and been longing since.

He was so damn lucky and Baekhyun hated that fact. He had everything Baekhyun could never.

“You have nice shoes,” Baekhyun commented after dragging the silence. He didn’t reach Kyungsoo’s hand immediately and instead looking at his new shining white shoes.

“Thank you,” Kyungsoo chirped. “Daddy gave them to me two weeks ago for my birthday.”

_Birthday gift…._ Baekhyun never had that too.

“Does Baekhyunee like Kyungsoo’s shoes? Do you want to have a pair of shoes like that too?” Do Hyunjin smiled warmly. “We can buy them too. Tomorrow, we can go to—“

Baekhyun quickly shook his head. “I want that shoes.”

Between the silences that followed after that, Baekhyun knew he had pushed his luck too much. At the back of his head, he could feel his mother glaring warning onto him; he could also see the hesitant look that was shared between two strangers before him. But before he could say something to undo his previous words, Kyungsoo nodded. He quickly bent to remove his sneakers.

“Sure! You can have it since you are my brother now!”

“Thank you,” Baekhyun replied with the same sugary smile. The difference thing, his was never reached his eyes.

Kyungsoo was too lucky. Bet he never knew what pain was.

So, when Baekhyun finally stepped inside the gate and into the house, he promised himself. He promised in his heart… that he would get them all, take them, steal them if he must. Kyungsoo had been too happy for twelve years already. It was time to switch their fates around.

 

***

 

For years, the marriage between his mother and Mr. Do Hyunjin went smooth, much more than what Baekhyun ever hoped for.  He gained weight easily within the first year, being fed three times a day and even was brought into restaurants at special occasions; he could practically eat any food he wished. When Kyungsoo, his step brother got a piece of chicken, he got the same. When he bought ice cream, he would buy one too for Baekhyun.

Baekhyun couldn’t feel anymore grateful.

But no, not really. Not when Kyungsoo always got the wings part of chicken Baekhyun wished he got. _Chicken wings are Kyungsoo’s favorite,_ his step father had said. But no one asked him what was his favorite. He wanted the wings so bad. Also not when Kyungsoo bought him the melon ice cream he hated so much without asking first, without knowing how much he hated melon, or… how much he hated Kyungsoo.

He hated him. Every single day was never wasted to harbor the feeling again and again. When their father was near, he would bottle it inside his heart, smiling his sweet smile as he tried to charm the man. When their father was out of town, though, as he was working in a ship, Baekhyun wouldn’t be shy to show his true color toward his step brother. And his mother, of course, would feel the same toward the poor kid. If people say a mother always had a soft heart, his mother must be an exception.

“I got 97 at the Math test today!” Fourteen years old Baekhyun proudly showed his test sheet to his step father, who took the paper and with a big grin, patted him on the back.

“Woah Baekhyunee is really smart. I’m so proud, Baekhyun, keep studying hard!”

Baekhyun’s smile blossomed across his face, his nostrils flared and chest puffed. Compliments, as he never experienced in the first twelve years of his life, really felt good.

“Yes, I will. The test wasn’t that hard, however.”

“That’s nice. But don’t stress yourself over school, hm? You should enjoy it too.”

Baekhyun nodded, leaning into the touch his stepfather gave as his stepson’s soft brunet.

“And what about your test, Soo-ya?”

Sooner than he would have like, that bright smile Baekhyun was sporting faded as the spotlight no longer his. Kyungsoo who was nestling on the very end of the couch moved closer to his father then, shyly handling his sheet marked with the big number 100 on it.

“You got a hundred?! This is great! Daddy is proud!”

It was impossible not to notice how big their father’s grin when he saw Kyungsoo’s sheet, much more than Baekhyun’s. And by the time Kyungsoo was held in his father’s arms and got a kiss on the forehead, it was as if someone had wiped clean all the track of smile Baekhyun ever had. It was like a storm cloud appearing out of nowhere in the middle of a sunny day in his heart.

He hated Kyungsoo. But that time, he hated him most.

And he found himself staring at the same perfect number, at the same sheet of Kyungsoo’s the next morning. Their father had gone back to his work and no one around anymore to defend the little bastard. What an annoying number he got. While Baekhyun had worked hard studying day and night to get the almost perfect score in Math, Kyungsoo effortlessly got the perfect one. How could it be? While Baekhyun was playing and studying, the poor kid was made to do the house chores; cleaning, cooking, and anything just to keep him busy, just to keep his back begging for rest until he cried himself to sleep. Yeah, Baekhyun would like to see that. Twelve years. Twelve years he had cried his own eyeballs to sleep, twelve years he had endured bruises and harsh words. He’d like to see someone else going through the same.

The perfect number… he tore it in two, then to four, then to pieces. The pieces of paper were flying down to his feet went Kyungsoo walked in.

“What are you doing?!”

“Nothing, just getting rid of some trash,” he answered, coldly. None track of guilt left in his voice.

Kyungsoo eyes followed the last paper lying down on the floor near his own feet. If he had figured what Baekhyun was doing, he didn’t say it, Only the tighten of his jaw, and the sour on his face made Baekhyun smirked.

“Anyway, I’m borrowing your bag today.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s your fault you didn’t dry my bag well enough it’s still damped.”

“But you have many other bags, Baekhyun.”

“They are old style.”

Without actually waiting for Kyungsoo to agree (he was never and would never care what the guy had to say, anyway), Baekhyun grabbed the new bag their father just bought Kyungsoo. He smiled as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. The bag looked too nice for Kyungsoo, it fit him nicely, though.

“Don’t give me that sad face!” He said, not wanting to catch such guilty feeling from the way Kyungsoo seemed to be lost. “You still have many other bags.”

Yeah, old and ruined bags. He always took the new ones even if it was for Kyungsoo and threw his worn out ones in the trash bin for Kyungsoo to pick up later. With that, Baekhyun left the room, decided not to be there to see the tears glistened up Kyungsoo’s eyes.

 

***

 

The first and only time he saw Kyungsoo was crying so much he was choking in his own tears was when they were fifteen. They were at school studying like usual when a relative came picking them up. The ship Do Hyunjin worked at had involved into an incident. The ship exploded and drowned, and many of its workers went missing in the sea. Their father was one of them.

Two days later, they found his corpse. Kyungsoo had grown fragile and sobbed on the floor for time no one could count.

Even Baekhyun. It felt weird. He had been beaten up bloody, he had been threatened rough, he had been called names, but he never once cried. But that day, he was well, no harm done, it was someone else that died, someone who wasn’t even his father. But as he stood there in the corner, watching the warm smile in the picture of Do Hyunjin, the man who was then lying cold in his coffin, as he stood there recalling the last smile he gave them when he parted away…. The tears easily rolled down his cheeks.

The man gave him the warmest smile and kindest heart, and that was what hurt most.

 

***

 

“Can I help you, son?”

The baritone voice and a tap on his shoulder brought Baekhyun back to reality. He quickly dismissed the image of his late step father three years ago, trying to gain his focus back on the display before his eyes. A pair of nice, shining leather shoes. The size just fit him, the color seemed to be perfect. And it was indeed perfect. The price, though….

He looked down at his own shoes, it wasn’t black anymore as it was supposed to be, worn out one that was an inch away from its due date to be in the trash bin. Since his step father died, they slowly succumbed down. His mother had used the assurance money to start a business, only to have it collapsed sooner than expected. She had nothing good other than seducing men, anyway. And at such age, it was useless, no man would want her in their bed again even if she gives herself away for free.

“What actually are you looking for?” The man, the store owner it seemed, asked Baekhyun again.

“Oh? Uhh can I see those shoes?”

It felt so smooth under his touch, so strong, it just basically screamed classic. When did the last time he wore such shoes? He couldn’t remember. But the special party thrown by Prince Kai was around the corner and it was their last year at school, it was his last chance to impress his crush, and maybe, just maybe, made his and his family’s lives better again.

He was about to sing on that birthday party, and charm him with his voice. It was known all over the school how the famous idol fancied beautiful voice to match his amazing skill in dance and musical instruments. And if there was one thing about himself that he took proud of, it was his voice. A kid once said that he had a voice of an angel, and Baekhyun always tried to improve his singing ever since.

He couldn’t come to the party looking like homeless. People said, nice shoes would bring you to the nice place. And before him, was the right shoes he had to take.

The price, however, crushed whatever he ever dreamt of.

“Are you going to buy that one? It’s new and good for young people like you. People would want to buy it.”

He bite his lips, he felt like crying both for desperation and shame. _No money, what a pity._ “Umm maybe next time, Uncle.”

 

***

 

“Have you decided what are you going to wear for The Prince’s birthday party?”

Their History teacher was explaining about Korea’s War in front of the class, but no one paid attention, really, except for some nerds. The girl who was sitting in front of Baekhyun seemed to bored to keep his energy for herself as she poked her deskmate and started to gossip around.

“Not yet. I can’t really decide yet!” Jang Soojin, Baekhyun recalled her name whined. “Have you?”

And Lee Minha, the girl sitting before him, brushed her curly auburn hair aside. “Yeah. I actually wanted some Donatella Versage design, but my mom bought me a Donna Karan’s limited collection,” she sighed dramatically. “It’s not exactly what I wanted but you know, since it’s more expensive than your car, I can’t really do anything about it,” he whined again, fakely, which she ended with a shrug.

Baekhyun suddenly had the urge to throw up. Girls, and their dramatic showing off asses. However, Jang Soojin bought it as she gasped.

“ _Daebak_! Donna Karan, you say?! I can’t even buy any of designer’s dress. You’re very lucky!”

“I guess so,” Minha brushed her hair again. “It’s not that much for me, anyway.”

“You’re very rich, Minha-ya. You’d attract Prince Kai, I’m sure!” Soojin sighed dreamily, hands now cupping her chin. “I already feel so lucky that I’m invited too on his party. I heard he invited all the students in this school and will have a huge party, right? I’m so lucky I study here. I will buy nice dress too, who knows Prince Kai would see me.”

From where he was sitting, Baekhyun could see Minha’s lips twitched in annoyance and he almost burst out into a loud laugh. Fake and stupid, just perfect to be friends. Kim Kai would never notice the like of them, that he was sure.

Exhaling a heavy breathe and inhaled again the air stinking hatred and stupidity, Baekhyun chose to drag his eyes elsewhere, outside of the windows. He was so done with the girls. Just then, he spotted a familiar tall figure in the distance. The tall boy with weird ears that often played in basketball team. Baekhyun didn’t know his name, and he never cared anyway. But he kept his eyes on him, after all. Because wherever the boy are, there was always Kim Kai there. Like idol and bodyguard.

Then, as if the God finally acknowledge his prayer, the guy appeared. The man of his dream. The one he had a crush on. Kim Jongin.

Kim Jongin, rather known as Kim Kai, or Prince Kai was already on top of popularity despite the young age of his group which only debuted last year. Together with five other members, he debuted as the most awaiting rocky group named XOXO. Coming from the biggest Kpop entertainment industry company, XOXO had already gained many fans even since their predebut, with the many teasers of their members pictures and video greeting. Most of them were from Kai alone. Those alone already gave them so much attentions, and with the released of their debut song, History, followed by other song hits like Growl, Monster and Wolf, in less than a year they already could bring Daesang home together with many other awards. Fans went crazy for them, and in the center of it all, was Kim Kai, being the visual and lead dancer of the group, and also starring at many commercial ads.

They called him The Prince. For he looked like one, he had everything every girls and boys dreamed of; good look, hot, wealth, popularity, and tenderness.

“Hello, my name is Kim Kai!” He greeted gently on his first video shared. He was playing with few puppies and let tender laughter escaped his lips.

“My ideal type?” he was interviewed in the second video, scrunching his nose up in a cute way while was thinking. “It’s not beauty or physical. For me whether it was a girl or a boy, whether they were pretty in many people’s eyes or they were unique, whether they have long hair or short, it doesn’t matter. That’s how falling in love works. We don’t plan to fall, nor we force ourselves too. We just fall. No matter what reasons, we just fall. But… if I have to choose something physical for my ideal type, it is… someone with beautiful voice.”

And even if Baekhyun tried hard not to, he couldn’t help but fall for Kim Kai, just like many others. The way he moved while performing, he way he smiled charming, and the gentleness of his every speech and acts… how not to fall for?

Because deep inside, he knew…. He felt familiar. Kim Kai reminded him of someone.

 

***

 

“Aren’t you that boy who always comes here?”

All of sudden, all blood rushed to Baekhyun’s cheeks as he sat there, hand on the glass and eyes previously glued on the shoes on display. Ever since he first saw the shoes, he had been regularly coming to the store only to have a look, to make sure no one else bought it while he was saving his money. Yeah, he even took a part time job now at a 7 eleven near the school.

Did he come too often that even the shop owner recognized him?

“Do you come here to buy the shoes?”

Biting his lips, Baekhyun shook his head.

“Umm Uncle?” He said, never had he felt so humiliated as he pulled out all of his money and dropped on the man’s open palm, making him raised his brow. “This is all I have. Can you… save the shoes until I have enough money to pay them all?”

 

***

 

He was nine when he first sang out loud for anyone else to hear. He was wandering on one of the street in Gangnam, starving and got nothing in his pocket. When he saw a crowd, he carefully slid in, hoping he could pickpocket one who didn’t care enough or two amongst the mass of people. He scanned through them all and quickly found his target. Eventhough he wasn’t a professional yet, this also wasn’t new thing for him for he started his first try of stealing a year ago.

What stopping him then, when he was that close to take the wallet from a man’s backpocket was what attracted people to be there in the first place. Strum of guitar, few knocks of the drum, and then a clear, beautiful voice. There, just on the ground before him, was a bunch of young people singing, dancing and played music instrument, combining them into such a eye-catching harmony. It was entertaining. And when they were done, people all went to drop their money into the guitar case. Street musicians.

That was how Baekhyun learned how to make money.

 

Cheotnun oneun ireon ohue _  
On this afternoon where the first snow is falling_

Neoege jeonhwareul geol suman itdamyeon gippeul tende _  
If only I could call you, I’d be so happy_

Beolsseo ilyeoni jinanneunde nan ajik miryeon gadeukhaeseo _  
A year has already passed but I’m still not over you_

“Sseulsseulhae” eoneusae hanjatmal _  
So I talk to myself, “I’m lonely”_

_First snow,_ was the first song he sang out loud in the middle of the street. It was late November and the weather was so cold he tried so hard for his voice not to shiver. But no one stopped to listen. They kept on their business and destinations with head went ahead and hands on their pockets, some would gave him curious look, but not enough to make them halt. Maybe it was the cold air everyone despised, or maybe, Baekhyun was just not good enough to worth their time. He just realized then, that it was so stupid of him. He had no guitar, nor violin, nor any musical instrument that might attract people. He couldn’t even dance. It was just him, standing straight like a robot in the middle of the street, singing out loud like a mad boy.

And while Baekhyun was on the verge of crying, by the corner of his eyes, he saw a boy standing there, watching him, carefully listening, bobbing his head sometimes as if he really liked hearing the melody Baekhyun carried.

Baekhyun immediately stopped singing.

“Why are you stopping?” The boy protested quickly. “It was a nice song!”

“No one listening.”

“I am listening!” He frowned and strode toward Baekhyun. “You have a really beautiful voice I feel like I’m listening to an angel voice!” He grinned cheesily until his glasses fell off his nose, which he quickly fixed. “Can you please sing more for me?”

Baekhyun bit his lips. Was he being real? Or was he just tease him like other kids used to to bully Baekhyun? His eyes found a pair of big sparkling eyes behind the glasses and he couldn’t see any mockery there.

“What do you want me to sing?”

“Anything! Oh, I like the song you just sang. So can you please sing it again?”

 

Neoreul mannamyeon nunmul chaolla  
_If I met you, would tears rise up?_

Babogateun nan amu mal motae _  
The foolish me wouldn’t be able to say anything_

Malhaejwo meri meri Christmas, annyeong jal jinaeneungeoji _  
Tell me, Merry Merry Christmas, hi, how have you been?_

Nuni naerimyeon meongdeun gaseumi modu hayake da deopyeojige doelkka _  
When the snow falls, would my bruised hard get covered whitely?_

 

He sang once again, and was lured into singing another song again and again at the end. It was three songs in total and by the end of the performance, the boy was clapping his hands excitedly with a wide grin etched on his face.

“That was really nice! Very beautiful!”

Baekhyun blushed, then answered “thanks” in a very small voice the boy probably didn’t hear him.

“Oh! Your shoelaces are untied!” The boy pointed out to the mess around his shoes. “My mother said, it’s very dangerous, you can fall!”

Baekhyun looked down, suddenly very conscious of his ugly, worn out shoes.

“Why are you wearing shoes that look too big for you?”

It was indeed too big Baekhyun had to tie it hard or else he’d slip it off while walking. Shoes, he never really had ones. It was the one he got from the local dump, already had a small hole on its left toe when he found them but nevertheless, still useful.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does! My mother said, nice shoes will bring you to nice places.”

When the boy removed his own shoes, red in color with a stip of black on each sides, Baekhyun stayed quiet. When the boy squatted down before him, he froze. When he pulled out Baekhyun shoes and replaced it with his own shoe, though, Baekhyun couldnt help but gaped.

“W-what are you doing?” He asked, panicked, while trying his best to pull his foot without making himself fall. What was the boy doing again? Touching his dirty feet.

“Here, wear my shoes!”

“What?”

Looking down, Baekhyun could see the boy’s big smile again. “I can’t pay for your singing with money because I dont have them right now, but I have my shoes. Please take them!”

“But....,” Baekhyun bit his lips. As much as he had the urge to take the damn pretty shoes and run away with it, he stayed glued to place. “It’s expensive.”

“Don’t worry! I still have other shoes at home! And...” he paused a little as he was too focus into tying the shoelaces of Baekhyun’s new shoes. “This one I bought with my saving money so my parents can’t get mad, don’t worry.”

Baekhyun almost felt bad that the shoes fit snuggly on him. It felt so warm and nice he almost cried. When the boy finished tying the shoes, though, and looked up at him with wide amost creepy grin, his heart skipped a beat.

“It looks nice on you!”

“I- thanks... I can’t pay these shoes, though.”

“Pay me with your voice then.”

“Hm?”

He stood up. “Next time, if we meet, sing for me?”

Baekhyun at nine years old, was known to be the quiet kid in the corner, known to be the poor and dirty one, known to be mean, known to be the small kid, fragile and weird. Never had he known as a smiling boy, he never smiled, not that he could when all he could feel was the bruises all over his body. But at that moment, Baekhyun’s smile was the most sincere, was the brightest, even the daylight couldn’t be any better.

“I will.”

He looked down at his shoes, and could never stare at anything else, except a pair of bare feet running on the cold asphalt. He went further and further away. Baekhyun wanted to scream, telling his name, or telling him to stay. But he couldn’t. All he could do was just staring as little white things fell gently around them.

_First snow._

He went away and away. And then disappeared behind the snow.

And yet he didn’t know his name.

 

***

 

The white gold necklace Baekhyun was holding and currently staring at worth more than the shoes, he knew. If he sold it, he could even buy the shoes and new tuxedo instead of just renting one. He could go to hair salon and got his hair styled and still could get delicious meal in a five or four stars restaurant, something he had not experience again for a long time already.

He was standing in front of jewelry store now. All he need was just to get inside and exchange the necklace for some big amount of cash. Easy. It wasn’t his, but who cared? His parents had taught much. The bigger kids in his school or neighborhood as well. When they took everything that was his, the thing was no longer belong to him anymore. They were theirs. Hunger taught him to steal if he wanted to eat, or he would die. Life was that harsh.

But the necklace was Kyungsoo’s, the only thing left from his late mother. He didn’t care, really. He hated his late mother, the figure of a slim woman with warm smile he could see hanging on the wall until the day Kyungsoo’s father died. She looked so full of love, unlike his own mother, Baekhyun hated it. He hated Kyungsoo even more, for he had everything Baekhyun hadn’t.

The necklace too. He’d like to see him suffering in tears too for losing everything left.

“Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo called hesitantly that morning after knocking Baekhyun’s bedroom. Baekhyun took his time, he had a big bedroom from two bedrooms combined into one, so it was hard to move to the door quickly.

“What?” He pulled off an annoyed face, like usual, nose scrunching up in disgust because… to be honest, Kyungsoo stank. His mother made the poor kid to feed the chickens and pigs in the barn in the backyard before he went to school. He usually would be done by now and already in his uniform, school’s bell just around fifteen minutes away. But he wasn’t today. He was still in his ugly t-shirt he used in the barn, hair messy and eyes panicking.

“Did you… perhaps, did you see my necklace?”

_Ah… Baekhyun knew the necklace._ “What necklace?”

“You know, the one with heart shape on it. That’s from my mother.”

How could Baekhyun forget? As soon as they sent Do Hyunjin onto his grave, Baekhyun’s mother already had eyes on the necklace. It was beautiful in look and beautiful in price. But Kyungsoo, for the first time against it so badly. He accepted al her screams and her hits, he got bruises around his arms and waist. But the necklace was clutched so tight no one could take it from him.

“It’s the only thing left by my mother. I can’t… I can’t just lost it…. It’s impossible. I-“

“Shut up,” Baekhyun cut him off, coldly. “I don’t know about your necklace. Don’t bother me.

And as he closed the door behind him, as he stared at the room that half of it once was Kyungsoo’s, he couldn’t help but reminiscing the male’s expression, the hurt in it.

And as he stood before the store, he couldn’t get it out of his head either. He hated Baekhyun. He didn’t care. But he couldn’t… he couldn’t step further. Instead, he turned on his heels and rushed back home, the necklace clutched securely in his palm.

“Baekhyun-ah…”

He remembered the night Kyungsoo approached him first. Twelve was considered to be a big guy already for Baekhyun, almost adult. But there was Kyungsoo, in his baby blue pyjama, hugging a teddy bear as he peeked into Baekhyun’s new bedroom.

The room was painted with light blue, it was nice and Baekhyun couldn’t stop marveling on it. He never had his own bedroom before, only sleeping in the living room, kitchen, even storage, but now he had one, with a set of comfortable bed, a cupboard filled with new clothes that are his, and fluffy stuffed toys sitting on top of his pillows. Kyungsoo had them much more.

“What is it?” Baekhyun asked hesitantly. He didn’t like the presence of a stranger, much less a stranger that called themselves his family.

“No… it’s raining hard outside, and there are loud thunders too. Can I… can I sleep with you?”

_No,_ he was about to say so. He wasn’t used to sleep with other people. But somehow he could only stare as Kyungsoo climbing into his bed.

“I have always wanted a brother. I’m glad we are brothers now.”

Baekhyun could only smile halfheartedly and listened. _He didn’t want a brother. He didn’t want Kyungsoo._

So when Kyungsoo was asleep next to him, practically taking over half of the space and kept snuggling closer to Baekhyun. He pushed him out of the bed. The kid fell with a loud thud and painful groaned. And Baekhyun, faked sleepiness as he rubbed his eyes and peered down at Kyungsoo.

“What happened?”

“Uh hyung, I fell…”

“You should be more careful next time.”

“It hurt…” He, looking like he was about to burst into tears while holding his wrist tightly sent Baekhyun a wave of panic through his veins. Did he break his hand accidentally?

“Eh… are you okay?”

“My wrist… it hurt…”

Even if he did break Kyungsoo’s hand… well, good for him. But seeing the tears in his eyes and the pain in his crunched up face had Baekhyun bit his lips. He wanted to wipe the tears away. He hated to see pains. So he reached his hand out and pulled Kyungsoo back onto the bed. His hands, however, stopped midway from its goal to the flow of tears on the other’s cheeks. He gave him handkerchief, and massaged the wrist.

“Are you… okay now? Maybe I can… I can try to look for some stick and tie you with it to mend the broken bone, then I’ll look for the medici-“

Baekhyun’s blabbering was stopped by a bark of boyish laugh. The other boy’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s okay hyung. It’s not that hurt. And I’ll ask father to bring me to doctor tomorrow.”

_Doctor…_ yeah of course. For a moment Baekhyun forgot that his life was different from normal kids his age. Of course they would go to doctor, they have parents and money for that.

“Let’s just go to sleep, hyung.”

Feeling his hands was being tugged gently, Baekhyun saw Kyungsoo laid back on his bed, a sleepy smile on his face. Gently, he laid beside him, careful to keep some space.

“You can just call me Baekhyun,” he said after awhile, eyes glued to the ceiling. It was strange, he wasn’t used to someone calling him hyung and looking up at him as if he was worth looking at.

“Okay, Baekhyunnie.”

The sound of the rain outside could be heard then between the silence of the night and the loud crack of thunder. Baekhyun found himself was far from sleepiness. Not because of the storm, or the noises of the rain hitting the roof, or instead, the silence. He couldn’t sleep because he could feel it, someone sleeping beside him, soundly, securely. It felt warm… and strange.

“Baekhyun?” Came voice from his side, making Baekhyun turned his head to face Kyungsoo. “Why aren’t you sleeping? Are you afraid of thunder too?”

_No,_ Baekhyun wanted to say. _Thunder doesn’t beat. Thunder doesn’t throw harsh words. Thunder never say they regret I exist…._ Instead, he nodded once again. As he was about to go back ignoring Kyungsoo, though, some caught his eyes. Under the dim light of the room, poking out of Kyungsoo’s pyjama was something shining. He touched it before he could stop himself. A necklace so beautiful he couldn’t take his eyes off it.

“What is this?”

“Oh, it’s my mother’s. This is all I have now. Mother said, this necklace is what brought her to my father,” Kyungsoo chuckled. “But I can also use it for emergency.”

“Emergency?”

“Yeah… but no, I will not use it, this is all I have.”

The rain didn’t stop pouring, only the thunders were fading, cracking lightly somewhere far away. Kyungsoo had gone to full sleep, and while Baekhyun looking at the ceiling while listening to the rhythmical sound of the raindrops and soft hum of Kyungsoo’s breathe in his sleep, while he thought he could never sleep with a stranger, he did. He fell asleep. And for the first time after awhile, it was without any nightmare.

 

 

***

 

Baekhyun stared at the pair of small faded red shoes in the dusty box. He could never dump the shoes away as he could never throw the memories it brought between its shoelaces. For years, he practiced and practiced, choosing the nicest song he could sing to the boy only to realize how dumb he was. The boy never came back. Baekhyun came every day to the same place no matter how cold, no matter it was storm and the snow buried his ankles, he loyally came and came until the season changed, until the snow melt and cherry blossom bloomed. He never came back and Baekhyun never found him. How fool he was not to realize that the world was much bigger than that. And amongst billions of people, would his radar be able to find the boy again?

No. Never.

Sighing, he pulled out the shoes and slipped his hand inside, roaming for the tiny envelope he had been hiding. The necklace he stole, he had returned it into Kyungsoo’s small space in the back of the house called bedroom, which used to be storage before. Instead, he pulled out an envelope of his own. He saved his own money ever since he knew how to make them. From picking from people’s pocket to work roughly in the traditional markets. He would buy meals and pay for his own school and class, and save the rest he could save.

And the one in the envelope, he had saved for years so he could tend himself in the future, so he could continue his study without depending on anyone. He wanted to go to Prague and leave everyone and all their shit behind. He wanted to be free. He wanted to have a family and kids and buy them meals, treating them like human being and not a mistake. He didn’t want to be his parents. He wanted to be like Do Hyunjin.

But…. He had to. He had to take it now. He needed the money and this was his only salvation.

Because those leather shoes were belong to him, just like Jongin will be his tomorrow.

 

***

 

It was there no more. The pair of shoes he longed for. Clutching the bundle of money in his hand, Baekhyun rushed inside the store, to where the owner was counting his cash.

“Uncle!”

A wave of shock was evident on the old man’s face, as if he didn’t expect Baekhyun to coming back.

“Oh you’re coming back, son?”

“Uncle, where’s… where’s the shoes I told you to keep?”

Silence fell for a second. And right in that moment, without any words, Baekhyun found the answer from the hesitation in his eyes.

“I… sold it. I’m sorry, son. Someone just bought it half an hour ago. I didn’t want to sell it but he kept on begging and gave me money much more than the real price. I can’t help it, I’m sorry.”

“But… Uncle, I paid it. I- I’m here to give the rest of the money.” His voice was wavered. It was unfair… he fell like he was thrown back to six years ago. To where he wasn’t even seen as human. All he had was taken away by those stronger people, and he left with was sorrow and bruises.

“I’m sorry, Son. He seems to need it just as much as you. And I thought you wouldn’t come back….” To see the tears threatening to blow up from Baekhyun’s eyes, he quickly added. “I have another pair that might suit you, do you want to see? I’ll give you discount.”

 

***

 

It hurt. The shoes were similar to the one he saw on displayed and been wanting to buy, only smaller in size. It was almost just as pretty, but then… it was also too small it bit his toes. His brows furrowed, showing his uneasiness. But when the shop owner looked at him with concern, he smiled his bright smile.

“Are you sure you want to buy that one?”

“Yeah, Uncle. I’ll choose this one.”

“Isn’t it… like, too small for you? I’m sorry son, there’s no bigger size.”

“Ah, no, Not at all! It fits me!”

It hurt. They were too small but it was all he could afford. The shoes with bigger size had much bigger price, and he didn’t feel like asking for pity. It was just for one night, anyway, he could endure it.

Biting his lips, Baekhyun tried not to let out a sigh of relief as he removed the shoes and slipped on his own flip-flop.

“I’ll take this one, Uncle!”

 

***

 

Tonight was the night.

Putting the last stroke of kohl on his eyes, Baekhyun looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was perfect. His suit was brand new, bought by his mother. It wasn’t without any pay, however, he had to catch some rich snob in the party, Baekhyun rolled his eyes.

Putting on the ever-so-painful shoes, he checked his appearance once again. Jongin would have no choice but to fall for him.

Walking pass Kyungsoo who was still busy cleaning the table after the dinner, his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, slightly damped by washing dishes he did earlier.

“You’re not going to eat?” His mother looked up from the drama she was watching on the TV toward Baekhyun, who, at that moment rummaging through the fridge.

“No, I-m on diet-“ _Because Jongin wouldn’t like me fat like you._ Pulling out a fresh red apple, his eyebrows knitted. There were only two apples left. There should be three. He quickly turned on his heels and glared at his step brother in the corner. “Kyungsoo! Did you eat my apple?!”

Kyungsoo, who was currently busy cleaning the kitchen looked up, blinking at him with no trace of guilt nor acknowledgement in his eyes. “I didn’t.”

“Who else then?!” It must be his mother but oh well, he had accused Kyungsoo in the first place, might as well do it till the end. “I told you not to eat my foods and not to touch my stuffs, right?!”

Kyungsoo didn’t rebut, he was almost never. Continuing what he was doing, he was practically ignoring Baekhyun’s presence, leaving the other scowled. Ever since Baekhyun’s mother married his father and he was treated less warm when his father was away, he never really questioned it. When day by day the treatment got worse and worse with both his stepmother and stepbrother forcing him to do things for them, he started to understand. He wasn’t wanted. They only wanted his father, and his wealth.

He didn’t tell his father, never. Merely because, even if he was threatened less like a family for them, he felt lonely no more. There was always scream and scold from his stepbrother and the drama his stepmother always watched.

“Baekhyun, you bought new shoes?”

Instantly, all eyes were suddenly on the brand new shoes, Baekhyun stopped munching his apple just to angle his feet for the spotlight.

“Yeah. Don’t they look good?”

“It looks expensive,” his mother said, eyes half adoring half judging. “Where did you get the money?”

At that, Baekhyun’s face scrunched up. Annoyed. “Don’t worry, I used my own money, not yours. Not like you have in the first place,” he replied, with mood already damped as he made way to the mirror, checking himself once again.

“Are you going to Kim Kai’s party?”

As Baekhyun shifted his gaze from his own reflection to Kyungsoo’s behind him, he noticed the hesitant look in the other’s eyes, the hope he dared not to voice out, the fiddling of fingers…. And wait, where did the necklace he always wore gone?

Turning around, Baekhyun took a good look himself, but nothing changed, what he saw was all correct. He snorted. “Of course. Why? You wanna come too?”

For awhile, Kyungsoo looked hesitate again. Lips chewed and eyes set downcast, he lifted it then to look at Baekhyun. “Can I?”

Baekhyun almost rolled his eyes. “Are you serious?”

“No, you can’t.” His mother was the one answering for him. “You still need to do the laundry. Wash all the sheets! Tomorrow my friends are coming.””

“I understand,” Kyungsoo whispered. And through the edge of his eyes, Baekhyun could see the tears threatening to fall on Kyungsoo’s cheek. What is it about the party that is so important to him? Is he a fan of Kai too?

The bell of the door disturbed his thought, however. “Looks like my friends already pick me up. I’m going. Bye.”

 

***

 

The huge hall of the five stars hotel where the birthday party had taken placed was already full of people by the time Baekhyun arrived with Jongdae and other friends. Here and there, ever since they first step into the lobby of the luxury place, they just couldn’t stop marveling at practically everything; from the classy interior, expensive ornaments and generally just how huge the rooms were.

“We are late!” Jongdae folded his arms, eyes aiming for a slim, tall girl with long straight hair standing next to him. “Why took you so long again?!”

That girl, Park Sooyoung aka Joy Park only brushed her hair back, unaffected at all. “I need to be pretty for Prince Kai, though!”

“You girls and your wishful thinking.”

That sentence, however, was repaid with a smack on Jongdae’s head. “You’re just jealous aren’t you? Kai is just too perfect! Is he even human?”

Joy sighed dreamily, eyes almost sparkling just by the thought. That was when the shorter girl, Wendy, nudged her on the elbow. “Kai is perfect, but he is too out of reach for me. I’ll just aim for his tall friend.”

“Oh…. You mean Park Chanyeol?!”

“Yup! He is handsome, isn’t he?”

“ A lot! He’s almost as perfect as Kai!”

“Naaah for me, he is better.”

They giggled then, and both Baekhyun and Jongdae rolled their eyes.

“Yeah, whatever, I’m here for free foods and signatures of SNSD,” Jongdae announced. His pair of pretty big eyes already scanning for where the foods are.

Baekhyun, wiped his gaze around. A bunch of people with heavy cameras and voice recorders in their hands were busy in the corner, setting themselves up while others were spread around, taking blitz of blitz photos.

“Woaah, there are really many celebrities!” He heard Joy half whispered to someone else, probably Wendy. He heard their giggles behind, but it wasn’t long. Baekhyun kept striding forward.

It was true. There were many familiar faces; beautiful faces of idols, handsome and beautiful looks from actors and actresses, even the look of matured comedians and TV announcer he spotted twice. Everyone wore nice, expensive clothes, drowning him to be nothing but ordinary in the sea of all tuxedos and dresses.

Baekhyun bit his lips, and once again, felt the shoes bit his toes again. _How am I going to stand up under the spotlight? Am I even going to be able to meet Kim Kai?_

“Baekhyun?”

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. And as he turned around, the person who greeted him turned out to be a senior, Kim Taeyeon.

“You look so lovely tonight.”

He smiled and complimented her in return. A minute passed and it was enough for them to end their small talk (a little catching up here and there) to move continuing the boring exchange of ‘hi’s and ‘how are you’s to other people. For a minute after, Baekhyun allowed himself to bath in the glory of the attention people gave. He had spent three months saving up just to get the outfits he was wearing now. And spent three hours at least to done his eye makeup and style his hair. He was going to steal the focus tonight, and hopefully, Kim Jongin’s heart along the way.

There was a huge stage on one side of the room. There was a band performing, or more like an orchestra seeing from how many the instruments they had. While Kim Kai himself was seen nowhere, his groupmates, however, were the eye-candies for everyone’s eyes. They were on the stage, singing, congratulating, joking, and then singing again.

Then Baekhyun saw him. There. Walking up the stage ever so gracefully, sexily, hotly. It was the guy he had a crush on for, the prince who had never noticed him yet. But tonight, he was ready to change that.

Walking almost nonchalantly passing though important people and celebrities, ignoring carts of mouth-watering foods, he walked toward the backstage where a friend of his, Kim Junmyeon, also cousin to Jongin stood.

“Hyung,” He greeted the older guy. Junmyeon had graduated from their high school two years ago. He was active as the Student Council’s President and now, as he was busy studying Business Management, he also had started his own business as an EO.

“Baekhyun? Look at you, so lovely!” Baekhyun smiled.

“You are as well, hyung.”

“Are you ready for your performance tonight?”

Baekhyun nodded. He had been waiting this forever. It was hard to talk to Junmyeon alone, recalling how busy his schedule was. Convincing him to give him a stage for few minutes was another hell of hard work. But his puppy whines, bribing here and there and some treats proved their result.

The party was dragged painfully slow and Baekhyun couldn’t decide if he should feel annoyed or grateful instead. The MC kept talking and talking, welcoming this person and that person, followed by a set of performances from other famous people. He was nothing, really, only set up to perform last, when half of the people probably had gone drunk or gone home.

“It’s your turn now,” Junmyeon reminded him two minute earlier.

Baekhyun bit his lips. Dragging his feet to climb up the short stairs suddenly became a difficult job because his whole body was practically trembling and his knew wobbling. On the far side of the stage, he could see Kim Kai’s back. Broad and seemingly warm, handsome. He was frozen there, behind the stage, waiting for his name to be called.

“Our lucky visitor here will give a chance to sing duet with our one and only Prince Kai!” The MC loudly announced which was welcomed with crazy cheers and screams from the crowd. “Let’s welcome….,” he dragged his voice, making everyone went silent, waiting nervously. “Byun-“

But the sound of the wooden door being pushed open was too loud. And soon, every pair of eyes had moved to the source of the voice, to the small man on the door. His white glorious tuxedo, shining shoes, and gorgeous look easily stole every attention Baekhyun had ever craved for.

“Who is he?”

“Is he a celebrity”

Everyone whispered to one another. He was panting there, right in the middle of the red carpet. Everyone looked at him with amazement and wonder in their eyes with his dazzling entrance and as he made his way toward the stage, but…. Baekhyun knew better. That pair of huge eyes people never seen yet he was familiar with.

“Have I seen you before?” Out of expectation, Kim Kai met him halfway, seemingly just as dazed as most people in the room was.

“Probably.”

“Are you not from our school?”

Kyungsoo shrugged, and smiled his beautiful, shy smile.

“Can I… sing for you?”

 

***

 

“Woahhh his voice is so beautiful.”

“He’s an angel!”

The compliments kept on and on surrounding him, but never once for him. They all praise the single who was singing on the stage. Baekhyun clutched his fist. It was his place. He should be the one singing there for Jongin. But he was casted aside, standing awkwardly behind the stage.

When all eyes were on the stage, he looked at the ceiling instead. Because if he didn’t… tears might fall. When all ears were pleased to hear the singing, he couldn’t hear anything, except for the loud strumming of his heart. He couldn’t take it… all the beating, bullying, the abuse physically and mentally came to him like a downpour.

He backed away, trying to run and slipped on the floor, as if he couldn’t embarrass himself further. But as he braced himself for the impact of his fall, he fell warm arms around his waist.

“You okay?”

That deep voice he was familiar with. A tall figure of Park Chanyeol.

“Are you laughing at me too?”

“What?”

The confusion was clear as day on Chanyeol’s face. But Baekhyun didn’t have time for that. His eyes red and the tears already blurred his sight. He felt so vulnerable like this, crying in front of strangers. No, he wouldn’t allow that.

So he set himself free and ran away.

 

***

 

It hurt. His toes were throbbing, cramped in the small shoes and forced to run for God knows how long. His heart hurt more.

It was Kyungsoo. He knew his voice. It was Kyungsoo, always him with all the luck behind his back, and left Baekhyun with nothing. Always second place. Always never good enough.

He was tired, mentally, physically, trying to be someone he could never be. The jealousy ate him up every day like ugly disease. Kyungsoo who smiled brighter, who sang better, who had more friends, who still smiled at him even when Baekhyun threw him sour look. He wanted to be someone like that…. He wanted to feel enough…. He wanted to be happy too. Like Kyungsoo seemed.

_Howl._

The wind howled again, biting his skin and whispering dark promises into his ears. He was only wearing suit with a thin layer of shirt under it, without gloves, without hat, without scarf; his neck was bare, red from the cold. Baekhyun did nothing to shield himself. Some people passed him, hurry in their strides in a thick bundle of clothes, Baekhyun did nothing. His fingers trembled, body shiver, and he did nothing still. The road was frozen under his shoes, he kept on walking.

To home. He wanted to go to Kyungsoo’s that he and his mother called home.

It would be mils, and by the time he arrived, his feet would be bloody and the new shoes would be ruined. But who cares? It didn’t matter anymore; he was soaked through, messed up and useless.

Once, he fell. He just fell. It seemed like he couldn’t force his body to keep moving, to stop trembling.  He probably was going to die there, frozen like his tears had.

Something white lightly flew before his eyes. And another. And another. Then, when he looked up, a snowflake poked him in the nose. It was like a small cold bite, yet it soon melted as soon as it touched Baekhyun.

First snow.

He was about to sing that song tonight, first snow. Just like what he sang nine years back then.

So he started to sing now, slowly, tenderly. Then higher and higher, reaching up notes he never thought he could. Then broke into a half singing half sobbing mess. He looked like a fool, he knew, but he was alone and he didn’t care anymore.

He was alone, or so he thought.  He never realized someone had followed him until he heard claps of hands behind.

“Who are you?” he turned his head almost too quickly, only to meet a pair of long legs.

The long legs moved, stopping in front of him before the owner bent them to squat down and meet Baekhyun’s eye-level. Now it was a pair of almond-shaped, bright eyes, straight nose, rude forehead and a whole handsome face staring at him.

“In case you don’t know, I’m Chanyeol,” he smiled, hand reached out for a shake. However, Baekhyun didn’t return it.

“Why are you following me?”

“Because I want to?”

Baekhyun turned his face away. His makeup had all ruined, he looked worst now and he didn’t need anyone to stare at him as if he worth staring.

“Go away!”

There was a silence followed his words. But not as Baekhyun thought the male would obey, he didn’t move at all. And it was so uncomfortable for Baekhyun to keep feeling the stare fell on him. So he met Chanyeol’s eyes.

“I want to hear you singing again,” Chanyeol whispered. “You have a voice of an angel.”

His memory collided, and he remembered, somewhere in time, someone had said the same sentence it feels like a dejavu now.

_You have a voice of an angel_

_“_ I- I’m not. Kyungsoo has better voice. You should go back to the party and hear him.”

When he saw the guy stay still, he inhaled a deep breathe. Saying ‘whatever’ under his breath before standing up, he staggered a bit in the process but refused to take a hand held out for him. Then, he started taking his step again. Too late, the guy already grabbed his wrist. It was useless to fight back, he was drained inside out and the guy was much taller, bigger, with bulky arms and strong grip.

“What are you doing?! Let me go!”

“No.”

“I said let me go!”

With all energy left in him, Baekhyun tried to kick the male, only to be dragged somewhere. For once, he felt like screaming for help, but his voice was stuck behind his throat. He was shocked to find Chanyeol made him sit on a bench under a street lamp pole just outside a local park and kneeled before him. The guys, without saying any word, without asking permission, removed his shoes.

Baekhyun yelped. The friction from his abused toes met the hard substance of the shoes made him flinched, the cold air that followed after didn’t help his pain either. He hissed while Chanyeol examining his red toes.

“It hurts, isn’t it?” He shifted his gaze back at Chanyeol, and found the male was staring at him. “I saw you walked weirdly. These shoes are too small for you. Look, your toes are bruised!”

_I know… I know and I don’t need pity for that._

“It’s not your problem.”

“No but it’s yours. And I’m not letting it happen.”

When there’s no response from Baekhyun, he started to massage the smaller’s foot then. Baekhyun flinched in reflect, retreating his foot back, but Chanyeol wouldn’t buy that. He pulled Baekhyun’s foot back and massaged it firmly yet gently, making Baekhyun bit his lips at the pain.

“It’s kinda painful but you have to endure it. You have been hurting in those shoes for hours, haven’t you? You shouldn’t walk this far in this state alone. Honestly, you shouldn’t walk in this state at all. Your legs might get cramped, and look at what you are wearing? It’s too thin, and the weather is so cold right now, don’t you think so?”

A minute passed and still there was no response from the shorter, Chanyeol pulled the other foot to massage it as well and continued his monologue.

“When you get home later, submerge your feet into warm water for ten minutes, alright? And you don’t have to walk home anymore, there’s a bus stop nearby so let’s take a bus. Actually I brought car but it was left at the party, yeah I’m so stupid sometimes. And my phone’s battery power is off so we can’t call a cab so—“

“Why do you care?” Baekhyun cut him off, his small eyes, surrounded by messed up eyeliner looked at Chanyeol sharply.

It didn’t make Chanyeol wavered, however. If anything, he could only sigh and smile. “The question is, why do you never care?”

“What do you mean?”

“You always look at the sun you revolve around. But you don’t realize the moon revolving around you.”

The frown on Baekhyun’s brows got deeper. “What?”

There was no immediate answer to that question as Chanyeol only sighed. In his sudden silent, Chanyeol collected Baekhyun’s shoes and turned his back toward the male.

 “Hop on.”

“W-What?!”

Sighing, the taller almost rolled his eyes as he looked at Baekhyun through his shoulder. “Hop on,” he urged again, patting his own back.

“B-but why?”

“Do you want to go home or not?”

“But I have my own feet!”

“I can’t let you go barefooted.”

“I have my shoes!”

Still, Chanyeol shook his head. “I can’t let you slip on the damn shoes again. I also can’t give you my shoes. But… I can be your shoes myself.”

“But why? What did I do to make you being nice to me? What do you want of me?”

There was a pause and the soft howl of the winter wind in between, delivering more snow upon their heads. Chanyeol removed his hat, ruffling the snowflake on Baekhyun’s head before putting the hat on the smaller’s head.

“I just want your smiles, for me, a lot of them.”

Baekhyun couldn’t remember much what happened then. As soon as he hopped on the tall stranger’s back, who he only knew by face and some girls gossips about him, as soon as he felt the warmth radiating from the male, he felt so weak. He must had walked way too far, he must had been under the cold for too long, he must be too tired. So with the comfort offered to him, he couldn’t help back but took it too fast. The snow kept falling and Baekhyun tightened his hold around Chanyeol’s neck, burying his face on the latter’s shoulder.

Before they reached the bust stop, he fell asleep.

 

***

 

“He’s really going around with a pair of shoes?” Lee Minha frowned at her short-haired friend.

Jang Soojin aggressively nodded her head. “I saw myself. Chanyeol brought the shoes and he walked with Prince Kai.”

“So… did the Cinderella boy last night leave his shoes? Isn’t a little ridiculous and dramatic?”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes at the girls gossiping around him. He was not interested in this, really. As soon as he woke up this morning, he did try his best to block his head from rewinding last night’s memory. He didn’t want to taste the pain once again, but however, his toes still throbbing. A bright evident of what happened.

As he stared at apparently nothing out of the window, he could feel a pair of eyes staring at him from the back of his head. He turned around, to find a pair of owl eyes behind thick glasses. It wasn’t the stare that disturbed him a little, but a smile Kyungsoo was sporting. Because.... Baekhyun didn’t know either to smile back or just ignored him like he used to. He ended up returning a quick awkward smile before turned around to his window again.

Things might have changed…. Or not.

Last night, he went home to a Kyungsoo that also just arrived, still clad in his expensive-looking tuxedo and the smell of perfume that might had been Kai’s. Barefooted, Baekhyun waddled toward his bedroom, trying hard to ignore the pain in his toes and the pain in his chest. Yet out of many possible scenario in his head; of Kyungsoo’s silent laugh at him, of Kyungsoo’s smile of victory or anything similar, he didn’t expect the huge-eyed male to knock his door with a basin of warm water and tended to his throbbing toes.

“You wore the shoes I’ve been wanting to buy,” he spoke up after awhile, refusing to look Kyungsoo in the eyes.

“Oh?” Kyungsoo replied a second later. “I didn’t know. Do you still… want it?”

“No. Did you sell your necklace?”

There was a silence followed before Kyungsoo nodded his head just slightly. Taken aback, Baekhyun finally met his gaze with Kyungsoo’s a second before the male’s dropped his eyes. He expected that answer, but still surprised.

“But… the necklace is very important for you.”

“To me…. meeting Kai is important too. He is my childhood friend.”

The soft ticking sound of the clock and the gentle wave of the water inside the basin became the only sound that could be heard after that. Baekhyun didn’t question and Kyungsoo didn’t explain further. Only when he finished washing Baekhyun’s feet, did Kyungsoo stand up and looked his step brother in the eyes.

“Baekhyun… thanks, and I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I know. I know why you hate me. I’m sorry for taking things you wished for. I’m sorry for being in the position you wish you were…”

Automatically, Baekhyun’s fist curled. He didn’t want to hear this, but Kyungsoo had another idea as he continued.

“But thank you. You are the only family I have now and I thank you for that. Thank you for defending me from Mom. Thank you for always left some foods for me in the kitchen. Thank you for returning my necklace. Thank you for teaching me to be grateful for what I have. I was just a spoiled kid before, you know. I didn’t know how to be grateful. I- I thank you, for being my brother.” His voice wavered by then, tainted by a wave of tears stinging in his eyes. “But Baekhyun, can I say I’m also jealous of you? I always look up to you. You are strong, confident, and you always know what you want and work hard for that. That, I wish to be as strong as you…”

That moment, Baekhyun didn’t know why he felt his eyes got wet or why he felt like hugging his step brother. He didn’t, however. He wouldn’t. instead, he looked up at the ceiling to dismiss the tear that might fall and coughed.

“I’m… sleepy. You can go now.”

That was all he said. No thank you. No apologize. No dramatic hug. There probably would never be. But on the breakfast, he woke up earlier to make a toast and fry some eggs, which were burnt, along with a glass of milk he left for Kyungsoo.

He wouldn’t say sorry, nor thank you. His pride wouldn’t allow it. But actions could do, probably.

His thought was disturbed by the loud knock on their class room’s door and the sudden rush of silent. Students all froze in their positions and muted in their conversations. Turned out, it was the people Baekhyun expected the least to be there; Prince Kai, and… Chanyeol, walking into his classroom, a box the size of shoes’ box— except in seemed a lot more expensive—in his hand.

“Kyaaaa may I try the shoes?”

“May I?”

“May I?”

“Let me try first!”

“No! Me!”

“ME! ME!!!”

It was suddenly very noisy. A real chaos out there with everyone shouted and all, trying to get into the shoes as if their lives depend on it. But as soon as Baekhyun plugged in his earphone and backed to his habit of staring out the window, they all faded. The noises. The worries inside his head. Baekhyun had left all his care to the world and let himself drowned into the other world.

However after many minutes passed and he looked to the crowd, it was the moment when the crowd went silent.

“Can I try?”

Everyone’s eyes were suddenly on the back row of the class, where the most quiet student in class, the nerd, the wallflower everyone knew as, suddenly spoke now and now was standing up from his seat. His huge eyes behind his thick glasses weren’t intimidated by the gaze everyone gave him. Do Kyungsoo walked with slow yet firm strides toward Kai and Chanyeol.

Baekhyun clenched his fist. After what happened last night, after what happened all these years, he didn’t want to hate Kyungsoo more. He wanted to stop. He didn’t want to hate his step brother and hurt himself in the process. But could he? Watching Kyungsoo getting everything he wished for and smiled for it? Weirdly, he didn’t feel as suffocated as he used to. But he still needed time.

Quietly standing up, he tried to walked away of the classroom without anyone noticing. It became a big failure when he was about to exit the classroom, however, a voice called him.

“Baekhyun.”

Kyungsoo stood there. A smile on his face. “Why don’t you try this?”

“Why… should I?”

“I don’t fit. Maybe you will?”

He should have run. He should have escaped as far as possible and save his face in front of their classmates and students from the other classes. But he didn’t know what pushed him into sitting there on the chair provided and being the center of attention.

Baekhyun sat there as Chanyeol knelt before him like he did the other night, helping Baekhyun into his shoes and Prince Kai standing before him. Their eyes met and Baekhyun suddenly questioned his feeling.

_Am I his Cinderella?_

_Is this guy my prince?_

_Kyungsoo failed…. But why am I not happy as I have to?_

If it was the other time before, he would. He would feel happy to see Kyungsoo suffering. But not today. He didn’t want to be happy above his brother’s misery. He didn’t even want Kai. He realized now, the feeling wasn’t real. It was never Kai to begin with.

The thought sent jolt to Baekhyun’s body. He quickly tried to stand up, only to find to shoes were perfectly tied onto his feet. And the second his eyes landed on the pair, that was the time the words failed him.

They weren’t a beautiful pair of leather shoes Kyungsoo was wearing, nor his too small ones. They were the dirty worn out shoes he once was wearing many years back then. The ones who would slip off his feet if he wasn’t being careful. The ones that got exchanged with the couple of red shoes he treasured in the box under his bed.

The ones that brought him to his first love.

“I-Is that you?”

Tears brimmed in his eyes, blurring the sight of Chanyeol kneeling before him, mixing him with a chubby kid from his childhood. His first love.

“So it’s really you?” Chanyeol was saying, sounded even surprised himself. “It’s really you, Baekhyun? The boy with the voice of an angel? I’ve been looking for you for so long!”

“What? How?” Baekhyun was lost.

“That day, I was moving out of town with my parents. When I came back a year later, I came to that place again, everyday, hoping to see you. It was stupid of me, I know. But I kept looking for you. I really wanted— I really want to see you again. I’m… I’m probably not a prince and you are not a Cinderella. But these shoes are all I have to find you.”

Being the object of what people were watching, and being the object of the cheesy confession now made Baekhyun’s face turned red. He wanted to run away so badly and bury himself somewhere deep, but his legs gave up just as his eyed did, drowned and trapped in the depth of Chanyeol’s gaze.

He was eager, sincere, honest… just like what Baekhyun saw in that kid’s eyes.

“B-but you don’t have to use this way! It’s exaggeration!”

“I know right?” Kai’s chuckle cut in. “This cheesy guy here just desperate to make it special. He already suspected for so long that it’s you, his Cinderella.”

“Yah! Can you not disturb my romantic scene?!”

“Pfftt romantic my ass?”

“I am here to confess, okay?!” Chanyeol, groaning and looking frustrated, turning to look at Baekhyun again. Now all red and flustered. “So, Baekhyun, would you… go watch a movie with me? This weekend?”

“…..”

“Baekhyun.”

The said male stood up. It took everything in Baekhyun not to smack the nervous boy before him with his shoes right now, with his stupid way of confession and all eyes that he invited. He needed to lock himself somewhere now out of embarrassment and…. Did he just find his first love? His heart wouldn’t stop hammering against his ribcage and he was afraid Chanyeol or anyone could hear it.

“Baekhyun?” Chanyeol called again once Baekhyun reached the door, the fear of rejection dancing in his huge eyes.

“7 pm. Don’t come late.”

As soon as he was out of everyone’s sight, he couldn’t keep his face straight. The smile crept itself across his face. A wide smile. A happy, shy smile. With a pair of worn out old shoes, he walked like there was red carpet rolled out for him and flower petals thrown along his way.

He was probably not a Cinderella, heck, he was just an ugly step brother. He was probably not the main cast in the story. But in his life, in his story, he realized, he was the protagonist. And maybe, just maybe, Chanyeol was the prince destined to be in his life for a long time.

Maybe, just maybe, there would be a happily ever after ending? Probably.

 

**END**

 

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Leave review please?**


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